School board candidates: Winnipeg School Division Ward 1

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 4/11/2011 (1861 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two school board seats are up for grabs in byelections Nov. 26, in Ward 2 in Louis Riel School Division, and in Ward 1 in Winnipeg School Division.

Mike Ducharme gave up his trustee’s job in LRSD to contest the St. Vital city council byelection, while the WSD seat has been empty since trustee Joyce Bateman became an MP last spring.

We’ve got candidates who believe that school boards need more trustees who are parents with kids in a school. There’s a 19-year-old who says trustees are generations removed from students, and who argues we need much, much younger trustees. Another says teachers make the best trustees. And there’s one who vows to cut taxes and reduce programs.

Ten of the 14 candidates have kids enrolled in their divisions, a far higher proprotion than you’ll find among most school boards, where many trustees have had their kids already graduate, or don’t have kids.

The women running in Louis Riel are pointing out that the board is the most male-dominated in the city, with only two women and six men among its current trustees.

Several candidates don’t believe that Premier Greg Selinger will keep his word — they fear school boards will get stuck with the cost of capping class size and with the seniors education property tax credit.

Mark Wasyliw

Who he is: A lawyer who ran federally for the NDP in 2006. Two kids in the division, another to start soon, both his parents were teachers. He’s endorsed by the labour council, but did not seek an NDP endorsement.

Why he’s running: The division has major infrastructure and repair needs. "I think that (WSD) is going to be heading into a financial crisis. Expenditures are outstripping the revenues coming in."

The province should pay for nursery: "They’re advocates of early childhood education."

The province should pay for the division’s aboriginal schools. "Not only Winnipeg School Division benefits — the benefits are universally accessible to the province."

"Traffic is a nightmare around schools", yet there is no traffic safety plan for teachers’ parking, parents picking up and dropping off.

"I want to be sure schools have the proper equipment."

There are 25,000 residences in the ward, far too big an area, said Wasyliw, who favours nine smaller single-seat wards. "The needs of kids and parents at Gladstone School are shockingly different than R.H. Smith."

"I have concerns about the comprehensive assessment program — teachers are scared to talk out about it." How many substitutes are hired so teachers can administer CAP?, he asks.

Trustees need to be more assertive. "The superintendents just tell them what to do and they just nod their heads."

He’ll work to protect small schools: "Some old taboos like school closure are going to rear their ugly heads."

Evan Thompson

Gerrit Theule

Who he is: A classical musician and opera singer, a stay-at-home dad with one child in Laura Secord School and another preschool. Grew up in the ward, but does not live there.

Why he’s running: Theule, who chairs the Laura Secord parent council, says that there shouldn't be a byelection in the first place.

"I believe that school board trustee is an important enough position to warrant having someone in it who wants to improve things for our schools and society as a whole as opposed to someone who actually wants to be an MLA or MP and sees this as a way in."

On division finances, "It’s important to have someone to balance the parent and community perspectives."

He’s not sold on the comprehensive assessment program (CAP): "The teachers are out of the classroom for big bulks of time. I haven’t seen that CAP does a whole lot of good."

"I’d like to see more creative methods of compensation — improve the teachers’ quality of life without costing a whole lot of money."

He would make the school board agendas public prior to board meetings.

History

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